Asia Cup 2025: Shashi Tharoor criticises Indian team over handshake controversy

NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday strongly criticised the Indian cricket team over its refusal to shake hands with Pakistani players during the ongoing Asia Cup 2025, urging them to play with the spirit of the game.

Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav and other players repeatedly avoided handshakes with Pakistani players during their high-stakes encounters in the Asia Cup 2025, sparking widespread debate on sportsmanship and political tensions.

In an interview with news agency ANI, Tharoor recalled the 1999 Kargil War to highlight how sports and diplomacy have historically coexisted—even in times of serious conflict.

“I personally feel that once the decision had been made to play, we should play in the spirit of the game,” Tharoor said. “If we feel so strongly about Pakistan, we shouldn’t have agreed to play them at all. But if we do, then we must shake hands.”

Referring to the 1999 Cricket World Cup match between India and Pakistan, which took place amid the Kargil conflict, Tharoor said: “Even on the very day our soldiers were dying for the country, we played Pakistan in Manchester. And yes, we shook hands then too—because the spirit of the game is different from what’s going on between countries and armies.”

Commenting on the apparent retaliation by the Pakistani team, who also refrained from shaking hands in a subsequent match, Tharoor said it reflected poorly on both sides.

“If the Pakistani team, having been insulted the first time, decided to return the insult, it only shows that the spirit of the game is lacking on both sides. But certainly, we need not have initiated it.”

“Once we have decided to play them, we should play like normal,” he added.